WHEN TO CALL IT QUITS

It’s never easy to end a relationship. The four keys of Dating for Life will fortify any kind of relationship, whether it is between you and a family member, business associate, friend or lover. But when do you call it quits and how should you go about it? First of all, let’s use the analogy of a roadway. Long before reach the end of the road, aren’t there warning signs prior? If someone is violating your core values and you are compromised to be with him or her, shouldn’t you post a “stop sign” early on? Too many times, a couple avoids an integral issue in a relationship, preferring to take a “detour” to maintain the status quo. But in doing so, they are merely delaying the inevitable. In situations where two people pretend that a relationship is mutually beneficial when it isn’t, detours won’t work because all roads lead to the same destination—an end.

The key to a healthy relationship is for you to give 100% with the hope that your partner in that relationship will reciprocate. The giving must be without strings. Love is never bought nor captured, but earned. The more you give, the more you receive. But losing your identity is to lose your self-worth. Compromising important values to be with another is detrimental to both parties. Therefore, post warning signs and address an issue straight up, but with care and concern. Never be passive aggressive and let things boil over, or your road could be riddled with unrepairable potholes.

Finally, if all avenues have been addressed, and your relationship is still one-sided, then you need to reach a “fork in the road” with your partner. At this point in time, without dramatics, you must ask the unavoidable question, “Are you going my way, or are we going our separate ways.” Painful as it may be, either heart-felt answer will be for the best. And if you must break off a relationship, always take the high road. It is a much shorter, smooth pathway than the low road, which will throw bumps, twists and turns at you for years if not forever. The bad karma road can be a long-term dead end in more ways than one. Sadly, the baggage you carry on the low road may prevent you from ever reaching your ultimate destination, which is happiness.